Free Concerts Tuesday and Thursday

The last two free summer concerts in Essex County parks occur this week in Newark.

Today's pix are of Ivy Hill Park, which had a concert earlier this summer. Ivy Hill, Weequahic, and Branch Brook are the only county parks that seem to have much tall built around them. Most of Newark is low-rise, with individual backyards, so there's not much need for parkland except for facilities like basketball and tennis courts. The county parks have been largely empty of such facilities until quite recently, and were just big stretches of lawn and trees that didn't attract much in the way of use. Now, however, there are more people in the parks, which is all to the good. If they are not presently so zoned, all the areas close in to these big parks should be zoned for high-rise residences to attract market-rate development that could advertise closeness to a park as a draw. The contrast between park greenery and tall architecture would make the parks visually much more interesting.

Enjoy the Free……………..
Essex County Free Summer Music Concert Series

Free Summer Music Concert Series. Upcoming concerts feature jazz by Carrie Jackson & Jazzin All Star Trio, Tuesday, 8/25 at 7 pm Weequahic Park, Meeker Avenue/Elizabeth Avenue, Newark, and Latin Rhythms by La Fuerza Positiva, Thursday, 8/27 at 7 pm Riverbank Park, Market St. Newark. * * *

Carrie Jackson is a native of Newark who began her career singing in the children’s choir at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Newark. An accomplished band leader and vocalist, her style is reminiscent of Newark’s great jazz history. She has recorded several CDs, including "The Nearness of You" and "If I Had My Way."

Website: http://www.cjayrecords.com/
Email: info@cjayrecords.com

"Support Live Jazz.....
America's Classic Art Form"

I too regard jazz as the classical music of the United States. Of course, a lot of people don't much care for classical music, but Newark has quite a lot of jazz, including WBGO, which modestly calls itself "The World's Premier Jazz Radio Station, NYC and Newark" on the title bar of its website. I rarely listen to music, except sometimes in the car. I have two favorite stations on selector buttons, WBGO (88.3 FM: American classical music — jazz) on 1 and WQXR (96.3 FM: European classical music) on 6 (just below 1, the buttons closest to the steering wheel), and rarely listen to anything else. Fortunately, it usually works out that when one of them has talk (WQXR takes commercials; BGO is Public Radio, so its talk is noncommercial), the other has music. Usually. So I just punch the other button. At the top of the hour, they both have talk, so the radio goes off for 5 minutes or so, until I feel safe turning it back on.

There are some audio clips of Carrie and crew online. (That link takes you to one of those websites that do not allow you to go to the prior page via the back arrow, so you might want to finish this blog entry before you listen to her clips.) The bio at that webpage says:

Carrie attributes her vocal style of singing to her mentors, the Great Ladies of Jazz, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Carmen McRae, but, Carrie truly has a Jazzin' style that is uniquely her own.

Sarah Vaughan was also born in Newark. Who knows? Maybe someday there will be a "Carrie Jackson Way" somewhere in Newark, as there is now a Sarah Vaughan Way, on the part of Center Street on which NJPAC fronts.

Ms. Jackson is a busy woman. I also received notice that she'll be appearing at the Lenox Lounge in Harlem, but very far from free.

CARRIE JACKSON & JAZZIN’ ALL STARS
Lou Rainone, pn, Steve Freeman, bs
Gordon Lane, drums
Fri. Aug. 28, & Sat. Aug. 29, 2009
Harlem’s Historic Lenox Lounge
Jazz Club ~ Bar ~ Restaurant
Weekends – Zebra Room
3 Shows 9:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m. 12:00
$20.00 cover per set plus (2) drink minimum
(212) 427-0253

Lenox Lounge
288 Lenox Ave / Malcolm X Blvd
(between 124th & 125th streets)
Harlem, New York 10027 (212) 427-0253
http://www.lenoxlounge.com.

SUPPORT LIVE JAZZ & KEEP THE LEGACY ALIVE

Ivy Hill Park, in my part of town, Vailsburg, adjoins Seton Hall University. The parking structure in the background of this picture is on that campus. Before I moved to Vailsburg, I had of course heard of Seton Hall and I knew it was somewhere in New Jersey, but I had no idea that it adjoined Newark.

That should put the value of Tuesday's concert in perspective. Weequahic Park, free. Lenox Lounge, twenty bucks plus two drinks. Which is the better deal? Hm.

I can't remember if these tennis courts (the foto was taken in April, pre-tennis weather) are in Vailsburg, but Seton Hall students are allowed to use them, or on the Seton Hall campus, but Newarkers are allowed to use them. If they are in a county park, it shouldn't matter which municipality the users live in, save that Seton Hall students may be only part-time residents. Newark's Boylan Street Recreation Center in central Vailsburg has two new (last year), underutilized tennis courts that have not yet caught on, so it may be that there's no significant wait for a court in Ivy Hill Park either.

The group performing in Riverbank Park (in the Ironbound on, you guessed it, the Passaic River) is La Fuerza Positiva ("The Positive Force"):

La Fuerza Positiva started in the Bronx in the fall of 1997. Initially, a group of musicians in recovery came together to play music, as a way to focus their energies and contribute to the community. The core members, Afro-Cuban and Latino rhythm musicians, joined forces with a bassist and pianist who specialized in R&B, Rock and Jazz. Soon, a horn section was added. This combination led to the unique and classic sound of the group.

La Fuerza Positiva has a vision — put forth a positive message with their music. Playing traditional salsa, these talented and dedicated musicians have made a name for themselves throughout the metropolitan area. Wherever they play, the crowds get up to dance. Their music is infectious, passionate, and filled with good vibes.

These basketball courts were not in use when I was by, in the middle of a pleasant April business day. But I suppose they are pretty well utilized much of the time.

I'm afraid I can't stand most salsa. There was some Dominican music playing on the TV of my local convenience store (Sandford Supermarket?; it used to be Gomez) the last time I stopped in to buy my usual two lottery (annuity) tickets, one for MegaMillions and one for Pick 6. It didn't sound like salsa or merengue (I suppose there is some kind of difference between those two, but I can't hear it) but was actually pleasant.